Expandable, mobile accommodation of activities

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an expandable mobile accommodation structure comprising a central structure provided with floor ( 3 ), roof ( 2 ), and end walls ( 1 ) and two longitudinal side walls ( 7 ), at least one of which is movable outwards together with outwardly pivotal floor and roof sections ( 4  and  9 , resp.). The roof and floor sections comprise a rigid panel, and are pivoted to the side wall ( 7 ) and the floor and roof edges of the central structure such that in a non-expanded state the roof panel ( 9 ) and the side wall ( 7 ) are permitted to hang down double-folded outside the folded up floor panel ( 4 ). The invention is characterized in that an actuating means ( 14, 14 ′) is arranged to act between the central structure and the roof panel ( 9 ) for swinging the roof panel up and down supported by a draw rope ( 15 ) is acting between the upper part of the central structure and the outermost part of the floor panel ( 4 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an expandable, mobile accommodationstructure.

Expandable, mobile accommodation structures are known in differentshapes and different varieties. In most cases, there are one or morehinges to be detached in connection with a change from an expanded to anon-expanded state, which involves complications and the risk ofnear-accidents. This can be avoided, as disclosed by e.g. the Swedishpatent SE9403670. In that case, however, the roof and floor of theexpandable part of the accommodation structure have to comprise each atleast two folding sections. Such a design is suitable for large units.But for smaller units there is a need of a more simple design.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to bring about an expandable,mobile accommodation structure which very simply and rapidly can bechanged between expanded and non-expanded states.

This has been obtained according to the invention with an arrangementhaving the characteristics features set forth in the claims appendedhereto. The change between expanded and non-expanded states is managedquite automatically and with complete control of the two movable panelsand the movable side wall, and in the non-expanded state the total wallthickness on both sides is increased only with the thickness of the twopanels and the side wall.

Since the weight of the movable parts may make them heavy to lift andretard, one or a pair of gas spring means may be provided. In certaincases it is more appropriate to use actuating means in the shape ofhydraulic or pneumatic cylinders or a screw or crank mechanism.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to theattached drawings which schematically show an example of an embodimentof an accommodation structure in accordance with the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-6 are end views of the accommodation structure during theexpanding operation from a non-expanded state via different steps to acompletely expanded state, and FIG. 7 is the same end view of analternative actuating means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 discloses one of the end walls 1, the roof 2, the floor 3 of thecentral structure, and on each side a floor panel 4, which by a hinge 5is connected to the longitudinal edge of the floor 3, and by a hinge 6is connected to longitudinal side wall 7. This side wall is in turnconnected by a hinge 8 to a roof panel 9, which by a hinge 10 isconnected to an edge of the roof of the central structure.

The side wall 7 and roof panel 9 are pivoted in a suitable way outwardsand upwards by a gas spring means 14 or a hydraulic or pneumaticcylinder attached to the farthest end wall of the central structure andacting upon the roof panel 9, as disclosed by FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, untilthey are directed almost straight upwards, in which position the floorpanel 4 and the side wall 7 can be pulled outwards and downwards, asdisclosed by FIGS. 5 and 6 until the floor panel is in a horizontalposition resting on a ground support. To retard the downward motion andto facilitate the lifting of the floor panel 4 and the side wall 7 at asubsequent change of the accommodation structure back into thenon-expanded state, one or a pair of gas spring means 14 acting betweenthe central structure and the roof panel 9 is sufficient in combinationwith a certain manual operation and a lifting support from a draw rope15, e.g. a wire or chain, which is attached to the outermost end of thefloor panel and is arranged to extend to the vicinity of the pivotaljoint 10 of the roof panel 9 to the central structure, as shown in FIGS.4-7, where the rope suitably is wound up on a wheel 16. A completelyautomatic control of the operation may be achieved by a hydraulic orpneumatic cylinder in combination with the draw rope 15.

The change from the expanded state according to FIG. 6 to thenon-expanded state according to FIG. 1 is obviously achieved in oppositesequence according to FIGS. 5 to 2.

As an alternative to hydraulic and pneumatic cylinders, a rod 14′ can beused, the bottom of which may be journalled in a vertically movablescrew or crank mechanism 17, as disclosed by FIG. 7. In that case acorner column 18 of the central structure is provided with a verticallyjournalled screw 19 having a nut 20 to which the bottom end of the rod14′ is hinged. The bottom end of the screw may be driven by an electricmotor 21 via a worm gear 22 such that the nut 20 is moved up or downdepending on the direction of rotation of the motor.

No ground support 11 is necessary if the draw rope is provided with astop member in the expanded position shown in FIG. 6.

The central structure may also be suitably expandable in the shown wayon the other side of the central structure.

In addition, two outwards pivotal front and rear side walls 12 and 13,respectively, are pivoted to the front and rear end walls 1,respectively, of the central structure. In the non-expanded state theycan be directed in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the centralstructure.

What is claimed is:
 1. An expandable, mobile accommodation structurecomprising: a central structure comprising a floor, a roof, front andrear end walls, and at least one longitudinal side wall that is movableout from the central structure from a non-expanded state to an expandedstate to create an expanded accommodation; rigid floor and roof panelsthat are each connected by respective hinges to both the centralstructure and to the longitudinal side wall; and front and rear sidewalls that are hinged to the central structure and pivotal outwards toclose the expanded accommodation; wherein the floor and roof panels areeach dimensioned such that the longitudinal side wall is positionedessentially in a vertical position in the expanded state; wherein alength of the roof panel between the hinge connecting the roof panel tothe longitudinal side wall and the hinge connecting the roof panel tothe central structure is at least equal to a height of the longitudinalside wall, so that the roof panel and the longitudinal side wall arepermitted to hang down double-folded in the non-expanded state; whereinone edge of at least one of the front and rear end walls of the centralstructure supports a rod member that exerts a lifting force to the roofpanel during swinging up and down of the roof panel as the mobileaccommodation structure is moved between the expanded and non-expandedstates; wherein an upper end of the rod member is pivoted to the roofpanel and a bottom end of the rod member is journalled so as to bevertically movable by a vertically acting lifting mechanism; and whereina draw rope member is attached to an outer end portion of the floorpanel and extends to a vicinity of the hinge connecting the roof panelto the central structure.
 2. An expandable, mobile accommodationstructure comprising: a central structure comprising a floor, a roof,front and rear end walls, and at least one rigid longitudinal side wallthat is movable out from the central structure from a non-expanded stateto an expanded state to create an expanded accommodation; rigid floorand roof panels that are each connected by respective hinges to both thecentral structure and to the longitudinal side wall; and rigid front andrear side walls that are hinged to the central structure and pivotaloutwards to close the expanded accommodation; wherein the floor and roofpanels are each dimensioned such that the longitudinal side wall ispositioned essentially in a vertical position in the expanded state;wherein a length of the roof panel between the hinge connecting the roofpanel to the longitudinal side wall and the hinge connecting the roofpanel to the central structure is at least equal to a height of thelongitudinal side wall, so that the roof panel and the longitudinal sidewall are permitted to hang down double-folded outside the floor panel inthe non-expanded state; wherein one edge of at least one of the frontand rear end walls of the central structure supports an actuating meansfor exerting a lifting force to the roof panel so as to lift the roofpanel to a most upright position at which the longitudinal side wall andthe floor panel are arranged substantially in line with each other,during swinging up and down of the roof panel as the mobileaccommodation structure is moved between the expanded and non-expandedstates; and wherein a draw rope member, extending between a point closeto the hinge connecting the floor panel to the longitudinal side walland a point close to the hinge connecting the roof panel to the centralstructure, is provided for preventing the floor panel and thelongitudinal side wall from being thrown outward when the mobileaccommodation structure is moved from the non-expanded state to theexpanded state and for drawing the floor panel toward the centralstructure when the mobile accommodation structure is moved from theexpanded state back into the non-expanded state.
 3. The structureaccording to claim 2, wherein the actuating means comprises a gas springmechanism.
 4. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the actuatingmeans comprises one of a hydraulic and pneumatic cylinder.
 5. Thestructure according to claim 2, wherein the actuating means a rodmember, and wherein an upper end of the rod member is pivoted to theroof panel and a bottom end of the rod member is journalled so as to bevertically movable by one of a vertically acting screw and crankmechanism.
 6. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the draw ropemember is adapted to be wound onto and off a wheel.
 7. The structureaccording to claim 6, wherein winding of the draw rope member is adaptedto be at least partly assisted by one of a spring force and a crankmechanism.
 8. The structure according to claim 2, wherein twolongitudinal side wall and two sets of floor and roof sections areprovided, and wherein the structure is expandable in two oppositedirections.
 9. The structure according to claim 2, wherein in thenon-expanded state, the front and rear side walls are positioned inparallel to a longitudinal direction of the central structure inside thefloor section, the longitudinal side wall and the roof section.